tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238Sat, 13 Jun 2015 06:06:49 +0000r - Loirer - Sierra Foothillsr - Willamette Valleyg - Chenin Blancg - Pinot Noirr - Rhôneg - Chardonnayg - Cabernet Francg - Syrahr - Oregong - RieslingSpring 2010 Trip to Francer - Piedmontr - Vouvrayg - Cabernet Sauvignong - Grenacheg - Sauvignon Blancg - Roussanneg - Sangioveser - Chinonr - Moselg - Gamayr - Alsacer - Anjour - Bordeauxr - Burgundyr - Champagner - Chiantir - Muscadetg - Aglianicog - Dolcettor - Beaujolaisr - Chateauneuf du Paper - Finger Lakesr - Friulir - Rheinhessenr - Sancerrer - Saumurr - Tourainer - Umbria$10BYOB ExcursionDemi-Sec Faceoffg - Barberag - Cannonaug - Malvasiag - Montepulcianog - Mourvedreg - Nebbiolog - Negroamarog - Petit Courbug - Petit Mansengg - Sagrantinog - Sémillong - Zinfandelr - Chablisr - Greecer - Layonr - Mâconr - Napar - Paso Roblesr - Penedèsr - Sardiniar - Savennièresg - Airéng - Asirtikog - Cinsaultg - Cotg - Counoiseg - Fié Grisg - Friulanog - Grignolinog - Grolleaug - Grüner Veltlinerg - Hondarrabi Beltzag - Lambruscog - Malbecg - Marsanneg - Mencíag - Nerello Mascaleseg - Petite Sirahg - Pinot Grigiog - Pinot Grisg - Pinot Meunierg - Refoscog - Ruchèg - Savagning - Schioppettinog - Tannatg - Tempranillog - Verdejog - Viognierg - Viurag - Xinomavrog - Zweigeltr - Aglianico del Vulturer - Albar - Arboisr - Astir - Austriar - Bandolr - Barbarescor - Barossar - Bierzor - Bizkaiko Txakolinar - Californiar - Caremar - Emiliar - Gigondasr - Irouléguyr - Jurar - La Manchar - Languedocr - Lazior - Madiranr - McLaren Valer - Mendocinor - Mendozar - Mercureyr - Moliser - Montlousr - Naher - Nassouar - Pacherenc du Vic-Bihlr - Riojar - Rosso Coneror - Roussillonr - Ruedar - Sabletr - Salentor - Salice Salentinor - Santa Barbarar - Santorinir - Saumur-Champignyr - Sicilyr - Sonomar - St. Josephr - Tulbaghr - Victoriar - Yakima ValleyroséWicker ParkerPoints on wine, without the pointshttp://wickerparker.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)Blogger173125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-3733858863078093504Mon, 14 Nov 2011 03:27:00 +00002011-11-14T06:16:21.942-08:00r - Oregonr - Willamette ValleyNow Living in the Willamette ValleyI have been away for far too long. Now, I am back to tell you my wine stories.
After eight years in Chicago*, I have moved to Oregon's Willamette Valley. Specifically, I live in Corvallis, which is about 50 miles south of this state's most storied vineyards. If appellations such as the Dundee Hills are quite accessible, my new site-uation gives me the ability to visit more isolated vineyards, http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/11/now-living-in-willamette-valley.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-4294617049066057686Sat, 16 Apr 2011 16:44:00 +00002011-04-16T09:51:25.533-07:00g - Cabernet Francg - Chenin Blancr - Anjour - ChinonA Mosse and a Baudry from 2009The basic take I've heard regarding the Loire vintage of 2009 is that the vintage is quite full and ripe, with favorable warmth for the reds, perhaps over-warmth for the whites, and a fine September (and mostly fine October) for healthy grapes of all colors. But this is a generalization, and each wine will speak in its own voice, some to an extent that overturns expectations.
Bernard Baudry http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/04/mosse-and-baudry-from-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-3090094821596366246Fri, 18 Feb 2011 04:01:00 +00002011-02-17T20:05:13.878-08:00g - Chardonnayg - Petit Courbug - Petit Mansengg - Savagninr - Arboisr - Irouléguyr - Jurar - Oregonr - Willamette ValleyRandom Whites Roundup, February 2011Now it's time to cover some whites I drank recently.
Ilarria Irouléguy Blanc 2009
This white Irouléguy, a 50/50 blend of organically grown petit manseng and petit courbu, is one reason why I'll be posting more soon-ish on the wines of Southwestern France. It starts with tropical fruit on the nose (guava, passion fruit) and then, intriguingly, it goes all orchardy on the palate, showing crisp http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/02/random-whites-roundup-february-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5897047657250584312Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:14:00 +00002011-02-15T13:14:00.272-08:00g - Barberag - Grenacheg - Syrahr - Chateauneuf du Paper - Piedmontr - Rhôner - Sierra FoothillsRandom Reds Roundup, February 2011Here are a few really cool reds I've had in the past two months. Different countries, different regions, different grape varieties, but each have strong, noble personalities that suggest great and long lives lived on their terms. If you don't like tasting notes, move along.
Vieux Télégraphe Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 1998
I drank this elegant, beautifully poised VT in the heart of winter, just http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/02/random-reds-roundup-february-2011.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-6997539642489700924Mon, 14 Feb 2011 01:09:00 +00002011-02-13T17:14:17.453-08:00g - Gamayr - Beaujolais2009 Beaujolais, Or At Least Four of ThemApologies if you're bored by coverage of the Beaujolais 2009 vintage, but I thought I'd toss in my two cents, anyway. Skepticism of hyped vintages is always warranted, even if the hype is not coming from the major magazines, especially as such vintages described as "easy" from the grower's perspective can be overly soft from my perspective. To take one small example, many 2005 Loire whites seem http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/02/2009-beaujolais-or-at-least-four-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-3533795794420952144Fri, 11 Feb 2011 03:16:00 +00002011-02-11T06:03:18.052-08:00g - Roussanner - BeaujolaisA Roussanne From Jean-Paul BrunAs a sort of addendum to the roussanne blind tasting I hosted last summer I recently drank the 2008 Roussanne from Jean-Paul Brun. According to an article at Crush Wine's site this is the first commercial release of this steel-and-cement vinified Beaujolais-bred roussanne. Yes: roussanne from the Beaujolais, thus its Vin de Table label, as the variety is not recognized there. It's a bit north of http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/02/roussanne-from-jean-paul-brun.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-3472763466194412470Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:42:00 +00002011-01-22T07:46:21.465-08:00g - Sangioveser - ChiantiOn Good Producers in Bad VintagesIt was dinner out with the family and I was expected to play sommelier. Murmurings in certain quarters of Washington State syrah, but I was having fish. Could I find something big enough for big-loving sis and everyone's meats, but delicate enough for my fish? Ah, here's Fèlsina's Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia, whose 2005 I thought terrific and 1995 phenomenal. But this one was from 2003, a http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/01/on-good-producers-in-bad-vintages.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-7717397271749577022Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:54:00 +00002011-01-12T12:54:00.555-08:00g - Xinomavror - Greecer - NassouaIs Xinomavro a Blue Cheer Cover Band?For its name, which translates to "acid black," you'd be forgiven for thinking that xinomavro is a Blue Cheer cover band. It is, rather, a red Greek grape that is said to resemble both pinot noir and nebbiolo. As I drink the one xinomavro I have ever had, the 2005 Xinomavro Naoussa from Katogi & Strofilia, I get the comparison. The sweet tannins, nutmeg-suggestive aromas, and soft earthiness of http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/01/is-xinomavro-blue-cheer-cover-band.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-4752724693211377392Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:50:00 +00002011-01-10T19:12:34.086-08:00g - Chenin Blancr - Loirer - VouvrayI Forbid the God of ClichéOn this, the Day of the Duck, I could be posting about an Oregon wine. Quack to that! I'm sticking to the Loire. And this time, for what seems the Nth time, although it's probably only the third, the non-vintage brut Vouvray from François Pinon.
I'm drinking a white in the winter and a sparkling wine on a Monday that's not a holiday and a French wine with nominally Italian food (pasta with http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/01/i-forbid-god-of-cliche.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-4568879069750159082Fri, 07 Jan 2011 04:27:00 +00002011-01-06T20:50:05.829-08:00g - Grolleaur - Anjour - LoireOlivier Cousin's Anjou GrolleauWhen I think of Anjou, one word instantly springs to my mind: schist; and in turn this makes me think of formidable, intellectual, occasionally stern wines. But I'm really in error to think that. Anjou is a geologically complex area, and even the tiny Savennières appellation is a complex melange of volcanic, metamorphic, and sedimentary-based soils. There's a rich seam of carboniferous soils inhttp://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/01/ollivier-cousins-anjou-grolleau.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-8236474667824202465Tue, 04 Jan 2011 14:12:00 +00002011-01-04T06:17:37.081-08:00g - Cabernet Francg - Cabernet Sauvignonr - Anjour - LoireNot a Rosé, At First BlushI have decided that 2011 is going to be a great year. And to get the year kicked off, I'm going to fete this exuberant little number that I admittedly drank a few months ago but which would have been great over the last weekend. It's a wine that seemingly shouldn't be what it is, and is definitely what it says it is not.
"Ceci n'est pas un rosé," says the Anjou producer Domaine des http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2011/01/not-rose-at-first-blush.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-4171301674307940973Tue, 02 Nov 2010 02:29:00 +00002010-11-02T06:53:46.492-07:00g - Mourvedrer - Sierra FoothillsBetter Med Red Than DeadEric Asimov's mourvèdre-themed column today reminds me not only that it's been far too long since I've drank Bandol (my 2001 and 2003 Pradeaux are resting comfortably off-site) but that I should tell you about the newly-released 2006 Mediterranean Red from Sierra Foothills producer Renaissance, which was sent to me as a press sample a few weeks ago. The Renaissance vineyard is riddled with all http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/11/better-med-red-than-dead.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-3812362003042935167Fri, 22 Oct 2010 00:45:00 +00002010-10-24T08:26:06.851-07:00Wine News From Here and ThereJust a few odds and ends.
Many people agree with me that Remy Charest's article "Natural Wine: On a Practical Note.. may be the best article written of late on natural wine, as he highlights how the best practitioners are really quite pragmatic, if also dedicated and quite serious, in the way they make their wines. Really a must read.
Of course, it's easy to nod one's head at this article, as http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/10/wine-news-from-here-and-there.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5116994516448190521Wed, 20 Oct 2010 01:47:00 +00002011-02-17T20:10:02.446-08:00g - Cabernet Francr - AnjouAnd On the Second Day, He RestedTuesday nights are not for opening the best bottle of wine, but — correct me if I'm wrong here — we all hope for something not merely tasty, but something darn good, yes? I opened the following sub-$15 wines on various Tuesday nights and was happy with two of the three.
Château de la Roulerie Anjou Rouge 2008
This cabernet franc comes from the schistous soils of St-Aubin de Luigné and it's http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/10/and-on-second-day-he-rested.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5930951024958131744Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:12:00 +00002010-10-14T06:15:23.512-07:00g - Pinot Noirr - Sierra FoothillsClos Saron's Great 2006 Home Vineyard Pinot NoirWhen I visited Clos Saron in the Sierra Foothills two years ago and first tasted the 2006 Home Vineyard Pinot Noir, I noted its restraint and purity but mentioned that it needed time, as the tannins and the finish were not yet resolved. The wine is now emerging — blooming, really — and it's clear that I didn't understand then how good this would become.I tasted this over two recent days, but evenhttp://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/10/clos-sarons-great-2006-home-vineyard.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-7106208056404327256Tue, 12 Oct 2010 02:23:00 +00002010-10-11T19:37:43.264-07:00g - Pinot Noirr - Oregonr - Willamette ValleyVisiting Evesham Wood, Eola Hills ORLongtime Evesham Wood followers were likely surprised by the note that owner Russ Raney posted back in July: "After 24 years of a mixture of euphoria and despair (only a little bit of the latter) - Mary & I faced the golden opportunity to retire early... So as of August 2010, Erin & Jordan [Nuccio] will be the new owners of Evesham Wood Winery & Le Puits Sec Vineyard."Myself, I'd never had the http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/10/visiting-evesham-wood-eola-hills-or.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-1985922939330229082Wed, 06 Oct 2010 01:32:00 +00002010-10-05T18:47:53.992-07:00r - Oregonr - Willamette ValleyHens and Chicks In Oregon, Sept 2010I snapped the photo at right two and a half weeks ago at Evesham Wood's dry-farmed home vineyard, Le Puits Sec. Flowering was extremely late in the Willamette Valley this year thanks to a very cool late spring and the cool conditions of summer further contributed to uneven ripening (see all them green grapes?) and the old "hens and chicks" phenomenon, wherein tiny, undeveloped berries are bunchedhttp://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/10/hens-and-chicks-in-oregon-sept-2010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5166761400719824767Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:48:00 +00002010-09-28T21:37:00.612-07:00r - Oregonr - Willamette ValleyKeeping Portland Weird: Schöne Schlucht"Keep Portland Weird," goes the rallying cry, and Willamette Valley winemakers Barnaby and Olga Tuttle are doing their part. Let's count the ways.Barnaby and Olga use indigenous yeasts and neutral oak barrels to make wines of place / somewhereness. Nevertheless, they invoke yet another place by calling their company the Teutonic Wine Company.Their 2009 wines are actually labeled under the Schönehttp://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/09/keeping-portland-weird-schone-schlucht.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-7014151663490802559Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:33:00 +00002010-08-25T17:24:41.729-07:00g - Roussanner - CaliforniaRoussanne-a-thon! A Blind TastingIn the wrong hands, the roussanne grape yields a wine of sweaty corpulence, a palate-flattening liquor oil. In the right hands, all that flesh can be allied with acidity, stone, and spice to render a taut grace. After experiencing deep and mineral roussannes from Renaissance and Château de la Gardine, I started to fixate on the possibilities. What can roussanne say? In what places and in http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/08/roussanne-thon-blind-tasting.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5062088926148927904Tue, 27 Jul 2010 00:01:00 +00002010-07-26T17:03:01.147-07:00Now Tweetin'Follow me if you like at http://twitter.com/Wicker_Parkerhttp://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/07/now-tweetin.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-3568170182601654707Mon, 26 Jul 2010 02:37:00 +00002010-07-25T21:51:43.757-07:00r - Layonr - LoireSpring 2010 Trip to FranceWith Jérôme and Sophie Saurigny, AnjouIf you have turned your back on what Bordeaux too often stands for, you need to know about Jérôme Saurigny. He did so literally in 2005, quitting his work there and turning instead to Anjou and making wine naturally on his own at Domaine Saurigny. On paper he sounds utterly crazy. Who in his right mind would macerate cabernet franc for four months without sulfur, CO2, or temperature control? http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/07/with-jerome-and-sophie-saurigny-anjou.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5784550064415955537Mon, 05 Jul 2010 18:48:00 +00002010-07-05T11:56:10.387-07:00g - Cabernet Francg - Chenin Blancr - Loirer - SaumurSpring 2010 Trip to FranceVisiting Romain Guiberteau in SaumurAt last I reached the Mothership: the Loire Valley, home of my adored chenin, home of rare indigenous varieties secreted in small plots, and home to some of the most dynamic set of winemakers in the world, many of whom pursue natural winemaking in their own ways and on their own terms. As much as I would have loved to have visited the Touraine, I focused on the Layon because of its schist and http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/07/visiting-romain-guiberteau-in-saumur.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-5768493680516317965Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:14:00 +00002010-06-28T06:26:52.322-07:00r - RhôneSpring 2010 Trip to FranceGetting Concrete at Domaine Jean DavidMuch is made of the highway in Burgundy, the N74, that separates the flat terrain from the superior hillside terroirs. Although the same dynamic occurs in the Côtes du Rhône, the dividing line here is not a highway or even a single road but an interlocking set of north-south roads that run just east of the N977. Still, as I pedaled my hired bike from north to south and back again, the divide http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/06/getting-concrete-at-domaine-jean-david.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-4492878640696940626Sat, 26 Jun 2010 14:44:00 +00002010-06-26T14:04:00.529-07:00r - Rhôner - SabletSpring 2010 Trip to FranceRinging the Bell at Domaine de PiaugierUnlike in America, where tasting rooms abound, in France it's best to call a winery to arrange a visit. I did this in other parts of France, but for whatever reason, I didn't do that before visiting the foot of the Dentelles. So I had no idea what to expect when I rolled up to Domaine de Piaugier in Sablet and rang the bell.If I stumbled upon the winery accidentally, I didn't ring the bell http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/06/ringing-bell-at-domaine-de-piaugier.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854464425211571238.post-9076359009574742224Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:55:00 +00002010-06-23T06:05:47.375-07:00Spring 2010 Trip to FranceBistro du'O in VaisonI may have been on a budget but I still wanted to get my food on, and Bistro du'O in Vaison la Romaine serves the kind of fresh and refreshing food I was looking for after a warm day of cycling and bus travel. To wit: an amuse bouche of mousse d'olive; a starter of smoked salmon and herbed cream cheese on toast, served with barely-dressed, slightly bitter, super-fresh greens; a beautiful duck http://wickerparker.blogspot.com/2010/06/bistro-duo-in-vaison.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Wicker Parker)0